Even though my dad used to grow barley in his hay fields, I don’t remember having that grain on the dinner table, except for an occasional ingredient in soup. I discovered that I really like barley, so I thought I’d share some recipes that feature the tasty, healthy grain.
My favorite way to include barley in a recipe is to make soup, but salads are nice, too, especially since we are still in the warm (hot) weather season.
Beefy barley vegetable soup
- 1 (3 pound) beef chuck roast
- 1/2 cup pearl barley
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 carrots, chopped
- 3 stalks celery, chopped
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 (16-ounce) package frozen mixed vegetables
- 4 cups water
- 4 cubes (or equivalent) beef bouillon
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 (28-ounce) can chopped stewed tomatoes Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a slow cooker, cook chuck roast until very tender (usually 4 to 5 hours on High, but can vary with different slow cookers). Add barley and bay leaf during the last hour of cooking. Remove meat, and chop into bite-size pieces. Discard bay leaf. Set beef, broth, and barley aside...